Cellular Immunity to Nuclear Antigens in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

John A. Goldman; Allen Litwin; Louis E. Adams; Robert C. Krueger; Evelyn V. Hess

doi:10.1172/JCI107085

^{Division of Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229}

^{Division of Immunology, Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229}

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^{Division of Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229}

^{Division of Immunology, Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229}

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^{Division of Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229}

^{Division of Immunology, Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229}

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^{Division of Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229}

^{Division of Immunology, Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229}

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^{Division of Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229}

^{Division of Immunology, Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229}

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Published in Volume 51, Issue 10 on October 1, 1972
J Clin Invest. 1972;51(10):2669–2677. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI107085.
© 1972 The American Society for Clinical Investigation

Published October 1, 1972 - Version history

Cellular immune repsonses were determined by skin testing and mitogen- and antigen-induced blastic transformation of peripheral blood lymphocyte cultures in 24 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 24 normal subjects. The incidence of positive skin tests with Candida albicans, PPD (tuberculin-purified protein derivative) intermediate strength, Trichophyton and histoplasmin was not significantly different in the two groups nor was lymphocyte stimulation by the mitogen phytohemagglutinin-M (PHA-M), implying that cellular immunity is normal in SLE. However, the SLE patients had a significantly increased incidence of positive skin tests and stimulated lymphocyte cultures to a number of nuclear antigens compared with normal subjects. No correlation could be made between the test results and the activity of the SLE at the time of study except for a significant association between lymphocyte culture stimulation by rabbit thymus native DNA and active SLE nephritis. Patients with a membranous antinuclear factor (ANF) pattern had positive skin tests with rabbit thymus native DNA and usually had active disease.

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